The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to rotor assemblies for aircraft use. More specifically, the subject disclosure relates to rotor flex beams for rigid rotor rotorcraft.
A rotary wing aircraft with a coaxial contra-rotating rotor system is capable of higher speeds as compared to conventional single rotor helicopters due in part to the balance of lift between advancing sides of the main rotor blades on the upper and lower rotor systems. To increase rotor speeds and reduce drag, it is desired to place the rotor assemblies of the coaxial rotor system closer to one another along the rotor axis to reduce drag on the system. In some aircraft this results in the use of a rigid rotor system, one without blade flap or blade lead/lag adjustment.
A flex-beam rotor offers a lightweight, cost effective construction for the rotor. In a flex-beam rotor, the assembly includes a rotor hub with a flex-beam arm extending from the rotor hub corresponding to each rotor blade of the rotor assembly. The rotor blade is then secured to the flex-beam arm and supported by one or more bearings. The typical flex-beam rotor, however, lacks a desired flat-wise stiffness (in a plane of rotation of the rotor assembly) to ensure the blades of the coaxial rotors do not collide, and also to provide a desired level of rotor vibratory response.